Hi,
I've been using a blade grinder for years and just recently realized how badly it affected the brew (took me a while, please don't hate haha).
So I started looking for a better alternative, with burrs, and from what I gathered, a good manual grinder will beat any fancy electric one, so I guess I'll be grinding my beans myself now.
I still need your help picking the right grinder for me, so here is my situation :
- I mostly use a moka pot and a dripper, and more rarely a French press, for lack of a proper espresso set up
- I'm also an espresso guy but I will probably end up investing in a decent espresso set up sonif the grinder could manage all of these that'd be neat! (I haven't started benchmarking for a proper setup yet because enjoying a good ristretto from time to time is fine by me for bow, but any advice on a a machine that is not too pricey is welcome too!)
- most of the time I grind approx 20g of beans
- I buy my beans from a local roaster, in small quantities (by 250g), dunno if this is any relevant
So far here is a list of grinders I've seen recommended on this sub :
- 1ZPresso JX pro
- Commandante c40 (but there are different burrs and I don't know which one I'd pick)
- Capresso Infinity
- Hario mini mill
Haven't bern really checking the the last two though. There seem to be quite we difference in prices range, so I need your help picking the right model (and size?). I don't want to spend too much, but I'm okay for a little pricey one if it makes a great deal of difference and it'll last! Also I'm open to look for second hand grinders unless you thinks it's a bad idea ?
Cheers and thank you for your help,
Edit : kingrinder's P & K series are also seemingly a solid choice, if any of you guys have an opinion, I'm interested!
Check out the Baratza Encore ESP. It’s one of the few grinders around that can handle espresso and French press pretty well. It also has internal shims (and includes extra/spare) for adjusting how close or far the burrs are to make minute adjustments to the grind, separately from the grind dial.
It’s got a 40 click adjustment dial where the first 20 are for fine adjustment for espresso grinds, and then from 21 to 40 is for regular coffee grinds. I do 25 for my pour over, and around 33-34 for French press.
My previous grinder was a Capresso Infinity, and though I liked it, the Baratza is better quality and much easier to clean and maintenance.
———
Edit - both the Capresso and the Baratza have some grinds retention (anything will on fine grinds) but the Baratza also has the benefit of having compatible bellows, and even aftermarket single serve hoppers with bellows. Capresso does not.
My Capresso Infinity was bad, sometimes up to 2+ grams retention and I’d have to shake it kind of whack the side of it to get them out.
With the bellows added, the Baratza’s grounds retention is almost zero, just press it down and the grounds come right out with no fuss. It’s also part of why it’s cleaner, and easier to clean in general.
The baratza encore is also on my list, but it's the only electric grinder on it. I'm not set yet, but I think a manual is nice, and easier to carry on a trip. Thank you very much for this detailed review, it's much appreciated and I'll take it into consideration!
If you need espresso, be sure you’re looking at the Encore ESP, not the original Encore.
For something easy to carry on trips if you want a manual, Timemore makes good stuff. I have a Timemore C3S. Supposedly it can adjust down to espresso sizes but I haven’t tried it.
I keep the Timemore as a back up in case power is out and my house battery is low, but I haven’t had much opportunity to use it other than my initial testing.
I only do pour over and French press, but I’ll just say I don’t think I’d want to hand grind for espresso, would be a pain to do that with any regularity.
Thank you for the tip, I'll make sure to check the ESP!